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Category: Amphibians

African Bullfrog (Ambassador Animal)

Posted on by Chandler Scott

African Bullfrog (Ambassador Animal)

(Pyxicephalus adspersus)

The Zoo is home to one African Bullfrog as part of our ambassador animal program (habitat not on public display).  

Animal Facts

African Bullfrogs are the largest species of frog in Southern Africa, and second largest in Africa. Males can grow to 9.5 inches long, and females grow to 4.5 inches, while they can weigh 2-5 pounds.
During the dry season, African Bullfrogs will go into a period of inactivity called estivation that can last from 10 months up to 2 years. They will burrow in the soil and grow a cocoon of skin layers to retain moisture and wait for the rainy season.
Male African Bullfrogs provide parental care by watching over and defending the eggs and tadpoles. They will defend their offspring by jumping at any approaching animals that they perceive as threats.
Large males will duel each other during breeding season, which involves them bellowing loudly and biting each other.
Female African Bullfrogs lay clutches of 1,600 to 4,000 eggs. The eggs hatch in 1-2 days and undergo metamorphosis in 18-33 days. The tadpoles have a limited amount of time to develop before the breeding pools dry up again.

Diet

Carnivorous. Insects, reptiles, small birds and mammals, other frogs. African Bullfrogs are ambush predators. They will sit and wait, in shallow water or mud, and quickly grab prey that comes close. They will eat whatever might fit in their mouths.

Status in The Wild

  • Least Concern

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status

This species faces threats of climate change and habitat loss. As climates change, dry seasons may become longer, or the rainy season may not provide enough water to form ponds for reproduction.

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Asian Common Toad (Ambassador Animal)

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Asian Spiny Toad (Ambassador Animal)

(Duttaphrynus melanostictus)

The Zoo is home to one Asian common toad, also known as spiny toads, as part of our ambassador animal program (habitat not on public display).

Animal Facts

Asian common toads are stout, mid to large sized toads with a modestly sized head and short limbs. They have thick dry skin with prominent cranial ridges and protruding parotid glands that secretes their bufotoxin.
Colors can be extremely variable from plain brick red to fully black, with the most common colors being pale yellow brown marked boldly with dark or reddish-brown streaks and spots.
Their backs are covered with a series of warts varying in sizes and are encircled with black or dark pigments and spine protrusions.
When it comes to choosing habitats, they prefer lowland areas such as lowland disturbed forests, forest margins, riparian areas, dense evergreen forests, gardens, and human dominated agricultural and urban areas.
Asian common toads are nocturnal, coming out shortly after sunset in search of insects to feed on. In human inhabited areas, large groups can be seen below streetlights collect the insects swarming around the lights.

Diet

Insectivore. Insects, various arthropods, crickets, mealworms, and occasionally pinkies.

Status in The Wild

  • Least Concern

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status

This species can be found in temperate, subtropical, and tropical habitats up to 2000 meters (1.24 miles) above sea level. Thier natural range extends Southern China, India, Southeast Asia.

There are no imminent threats to Asian common toad populations. It is sometimes found in the international pet trade but not at levels that constitute a major threat. They are also eaten locally in northern Thailand. Another minor threat would be water pollution having affects on eggs and tadpoles.

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Borneo eared frog

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Borneo Eared Frog

(Polypedates otilophus)

There are a few Borneo eared frogs at the Zoo that came to us in 2021 from Houston Zoo.

Animal Facts

Nocturnal or crepuscular, generally arboreal, found near water. Not poisonous.
Males call and females toe-tap in response when looking for mates.
Eggs are laid in a foam nest, above water in spring, tadpoles fall into the water, metamorphosis in 8-10 weeks.

Diet

The Borneo eared frog eats a diet of insects and other invertebrates, smaller frogs; as tadpoles they eat mainly algae
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Status in The Wild

  • Least Concern

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status

These frogs are found in the forests and wetlands of Borneo, Indonesia, and Malaysia. These frogs are arboreal and commonly seen clinging to vegetation, a few yards from the ground.

The population is decreasing, but this species is listed as Least Concern due to its wide distribution and tolerance for some degree of habitat modification.  Although the frogs are rarer within some areas of their range, the overall population is also presumed to be large. The principal threat to the species is rapid clear-cutting of lowland tropical rainforest in forest timber concession land and for large-scale oil palm plantations.  The species is also collected for the pet trade.

 

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Four-banded Poison Dart Frogs

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Four-banded Poison Dart Frog

(Dendrobates leucomelas)

There are two yellow and blue poison dart frogs (Dendrobates tinctorius); and four yellow-banded poison dart frogs (Dendrobates leucomelas) at the Zoo.

Animal Facts

Natives living in the habitat of the poison dart frog have been known to use the frog for poison-tipped arrows, where they get their name.
The bright coloring acts as a warning to predators of the poison.
They are diurnal, meaning they are awake during the day.

Diet

Diet includes ants, termites, crickets, small beetles, spiders and occasionally frog tadpoles.

Status in The Wild

  • Least Concern

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status

These species are found only in South America. They are poor swimmers and are never found in the water.

The wild population of these species is not known. However, the destruction of rainforest habitat by fires and by humans for farmland has contributed to the decreasing numbers. The illegal pet trade has also negatively impacted their existence.

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Yellow and Blue Dart Frogs

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Yellow and Blue Poison Dart Frog

(Dendrobates tinctorius)

There are two yellow and blue poison dart frogs (Dendrobates tinctorius); and four yellow-banded poison dart frogs (Dendrobates leucomelas) at the Zoo.

Animal Facts

Natives living in the habitat of the poison dart frog have been known to use the frog for poison-tipped arrows, where they get their name.
The bright coloring acts as a warning to predators of the poison.
They are diurnal, meaning they are awake during the day.

Diet

The poison dart frog is an insectivore though it eats non-insect arthropods as well. Its diet consists of ants, millipedes, beetles, flies, mites, spiders, maggots and caterpillars.
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Status in The Wild

  • Least Concern

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status

These species are found only in South America. They are poor swimmers and are never found in the water.

The wild population of these species is not known. However, the destruction of rainforest habitat by fires and by humans for farmland has contributed to the decreasing numbers. The illegal pet trade has also negatively impacted their existence.

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Fire-Bellied Toad (Ambassador Animal)

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Fire-Bellied Toad

(Bombina orientalis)

Seneca Park Zoo is home to 10 fire-bellied toads that are a part of the Program Animal collection.

Animal Facts

The fire bellied toad is known to flip on its back when it feels threatened; this is to show its bright vivid colors to predators.
In the wild, bugs that the toad eats make it poisonous.
Captive toads are minimally or not at all poisonous.
Usually captive Fire Bellied toads can live around 12 years, but several have lived to be up to 30 years old!
Males often act aggressively toward one another, usually in competition for food or a mate.

Diet

Tadpoles survive on algae, fungi, and plants, while the adults eat a variety of invertebrates, including worms, insects, and mollusks.

Status in The Wild

  • Least Concern

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status

This species is found in Korea, northeastern China and adjacent parts of Russia.

An introduced population exists near Beijing. This frog is mostly aquatic, inhabiting warm, humid regions at high elevations. They may be found in a variety of different habitats, such as spruce, pine or deciduous forests, river valleys, swampy bush lands, and open meadows. They spend most of their time soaking in shallow pools.

The fire-bellied toad is not currently considered a threatened species.

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Panamanian Golden Frog

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Panamanian Golden Frog

(Atelopus zeteki)

Panamanian golden frogs are a bright golden-yellow color with some darker spots. The Zoo’s Panamanian golden frogs reside inside the CRE Building.

Animal Facts

Although Panamanian golden frogs are called frogs, they are scientifically classified as true toads.
These frogs communicate by waving their hands instead of croaking.
Panamanian golden frogs are considered lucky in Panama.
Panamanian golden frogs are poisonous, secreting a water-soluble neurotoxin.
In wet habitat, the frogs can weigh twice as much as those living in dry habitat, 12 to 17 grams compared to 3 to 7 grams.

Diet

Very small insects comprise the diet of these frogs.

Status in The Wild

  • Critically Endangered

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status

The Panamanian golden frog historically inhabits mountainous rainforests and streams in Panama, but is believed they could be extinct in nature at this time.

Panamanian golden frogs are under pressure from loss of habitat, over collection and chytridiomycosis. Some scientists suspect that the Panamanian golden frog has been extinct in its natural range since 2006. Seneca Park Zoo is part of a larger conservation effort for these frogs, known as the Species Survival Plan (SSP).

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Mueller’s Clawed Frog

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Mueller's Clawed Frog

(Xenopus muelleri)

Seneca Park Zoo is home to a Mueller’s clawed frog. The habitat is located in the micro-habitat tree inside the Animals of the Savanna building.

Animal Facts

The scientific name for this species is xenopus muelleri – the word xenopus means “strange foot”.
The frog’s front feet are small and lack webbing. They use their fingers to push food into their mouths.
Clawed frogs lack a tongue and vocal cords. Because of this, their calls are a series of clicks that are emitted underwater.

Diet

Mueller’s clawed frogs are opportunistic scavengers. They are carnivores that will eat living, dying, or dead arthropods, invertebrates, crustaceans, small fish, and freshwater snails.

Status in The Wild

  • Least Concern

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status

This species is found throughout sub-saharan Africa. As a water-dependent species, they occupy both temporary and permanent ponds, as well as rivers and streams in the dry season.

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Hellbender

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Hellbender

(Cryptobranchus alleganiensis)

Hellbenders are the largest salamanders found in North America. They are indigenous to cold, swift-moving, oxygenated streams and important environmental indicators of water health. There are two hellbenders that reside in the C.R.E. Center at the Zoo.

Animal Facts

Hellbenders are nocturnal, meaning they hunt at night, and spend their daylight hours hidden beneath rocks and logs at the bottoms of streams.
Hellbenders are New York State’s largest aquatic salamander.
Hellbenders have lived 29 years in captivity and analysis suggests they can live up to 30 years in the wild.
Can swim but they prefer to walk along the bottom of riverbeds
They do have lungs but they “breathe” through their skin, and the wrinkly skin along their sides gives more area for breathing.

Diet

Hellbenders feed primarily on crayfish, but they also may eat fish, frogs and a variety of invertebrates. They do eat smaller hellbenders.
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Status in The Wild

  • Vulnerable

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status

The eastern hellbender’s range once extended from southwestern and south central New York, west to southern Illinois, and south to extreme northeastern Mississippi and the northern parts of Alabama and Georgia.

Today, healthy populations of hellbenders are limited to a relatively few stream systems in areas that have remained isolated from development and urbanization, mainly in the rugged mountains of West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia.

This species is probably in significant decline (but probably at a rate of less than 30% over three generations, assuming a generation length to be approximately ten years) because of widespread habitat loss through much of its range, thus making the species close to qualifying for Vulnerable.

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